Across the Ocean Grey

The small knot of people huddled in the center of the room. The ship was freezing—as it was a night in early January—and the group had to gather together to stay warm. Strangers, heading to a strange land all brought together by circumstance.
 

Mia, seventeen years old—small-framed and smart—was at the center of the group, holding the bible from which her father read. She was Dutch, by birth, and adventurous in spirit. After weeks at sea, Mia was now quite over the concept of sailing into the West. Despite all her parents said about the amazing new place they were going, she was yet to be convinced.

Slowly, the night passed and the sun rose, allowing the passengers to go above to the main deck.  The early morning was frigid, and yet unsettlingly beautiful. Mia looked out across the endless blue-grey of the morning as the sun rose out of the ocean. Despite all of the anger she felt at her parents for making her leave home, she had to admit that nothing could beat the pure beauty of the sunrise at sea.

“Are you cold?” The question startled Mia from her contemplation of the water splashing up the side of the ship. Behind her was a tall, and gangly boy of eighteen, by the name of Jack. He was from England and had joined them at Dover.

“I’m fine.” Was the only response that she could come up wit, despite her hands and feet freezing so much it hurt.

“What a relief!” He came over next to her on the railing. “Why are you going to America?” It had to have been the hundredth time he had asked Mia, but he always seemed as interested as the first time.

“My parents thought that it would be a worthwhile gamble to take, since we lost all our money trying to repair a motel that my mother wanted to run. They say that they hope that we’ll live better in America.” She hated it. She hated her mother for making a stupid gamble. She hated her father for supporting her mother. Most of all, she hated Helen’s parents for suggesting that they go to the new world to regain their wealth. Her best friend had even betrayed her.

“I ran away.” The reply startled Mia. He had never told her anything about himself before. “My parents are in debt, and I wanted to help them out. There were no jobs in any of the towns nearby. I was becoming a burden to my parents.” He paused there and looked out to the sea, an odd look on his face. When he looked back to her, he was wearing a sad smile. “I am going to make my fortune in America, and send the money to my parents. When I am a wealthy man with a wife by my side and children on my knee, I will go home and give them all I have made for them.” He looked proud and terrified at the same time. She felt bad for him, and yet understood what he meant. If she were a boy, she would have done the same thing.

“Mia!” The voice belonged to her father, who was standing right behind them. He pulled her away and reprimanded her for talking to Jack. They were of a different class and shouldn’t converse.

“Father!” she protested, “He is my friend. We’re going to America, aren’t we? Land of the free, right? Of the brave? Land of the equal daddy.” She looked determinedly up at him.

“He is a nice boy.” Her father admitted. “ I suppose you could be, well…acquaintances.”

She smiled and gave her father a quick peck on the cheek. “Thank you daddy.” She turned around and held her hand out to Jack. “C’mon,” she said, “I hear the view from the bow is to die for.” He smiled and, bowing to her father, took her hand. They walked to the bow of the ship.

A person from above cried: “Land ho!”

“Finally.” The sigh of relief was lost on the wind blowing across the ocean and to the new land ahead.

--Eliza Koso